Display appabatus



Aug. 1141, R923. J. c. THOMAS DISPLAY APEARATUS 1 Filed Nov; 15 1922 v INVENTOR I J'osep/y Gfimma BY J/Wd I ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 141,

att cs.

aosnrn C.'THO1VAS, oitannon, 05110.

nrsPLnY .errana'ros.

T all whom it any cones rm:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr C. THoMAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Akron, in the county of unnnit and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Display Apparatus, of which. "the following.

danger signal; Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig; 4 is a perspective view of a portion of a modified display apparatus, one end being broken away to show the cross section thereof.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the views.

The present invention is illustrated as applied to vehicles which display a license number plate and a danger signal.

It is now quite prevalent to also display the name of the town in which the vehicle owner lives, or his name, or other identi fying symbols, in connection with the usual license number or with the usual danger signal.

The present invention embodies means above features may be embodied in a single apparatus. 1 r

Referring now particularly to the drawi g The case A, Figs. 1, 2 and in this instance, is made in one piece, preferably of aluminum or of other material adapted for paratus provided with letters comprising the name of the town, Akron and with a whereby either all or any number of the er edge of the bracket 20, andeach of these ugs 15 is provided with the slot 17 adapted to permit the passage therethrough of the bolts 18 which, in this instance, secure the license number plate 19 as Well as the disilay apparatus to the license number brackl: et 20 usually found on vehicles.

It is noted that the weight of'the display apparatus, as well the usual shocks or other vibrations, is borne by the shoulders .16 so that the bolts 18 are relieved of as much load as possible; thereby preventing the same to become loose and probably lose the apparatus as well as the license plate. The bead 21 is formed on the front wall 1 1- to stiffen this wall at the bottom and for ornamentation. a

In the present instance, the wall 14L has the symbol openings'22 therethrough formed as letters representing the word Akron? and also has the danger signal openings 23 therethrough as seen in Fig. 1.

On the inside, this wall 1 1 has the bead 7 24 adapted to retain the transparent member 25 in position.

In the present instance, the member 25 is made of red colored glass and is held to -the inside of the wall 14 and within the beads 2-1; by the screws 26 and the washers '27.

The gaskets 2S and 29 may be introduced to prevent breakage of the glass 25.

The inside of the lower end of the wall 14 is curved inward to reflect the light rays thrown thereon downward and backward against the number plate to a reflector having an irregular surface.

v This reflector B has the central portion 34: and the end portions 35. The curvature'of the portion 34c is formed to direct one portion of the light rays from the lamp 32 toward the danger signal openings 23. The curvature of each of the portions 35 is formed to direct the other portion of the light rays forward toward the letter openings 22 and also downward toward the num ber plate 19.

:The apparatus describedoperates either In the day t1me,

in day time'or at night. when thelamp 32 does not illuminate, there usually is sufficient sun-light striking" the red glass, through the openings in the front wall, to showa red reflection in contrast to the white surface (body made of aluminum as previously stated) and thereby render the symbols'inthe front .of the case easily discernible. At night when the lamp 32 is illuminating, some of the light rays ofthe lamp 32, aidedby the portion 3 1 of the re- 'flector', illumine the'danger signal openings 23 and thereby show the danger signal as a' bright fred light on a white background;

other light rays of the lamp 32, aided bythe portions of the reflector, illumine the letteropenings 22 and show these letters in red on a 'white background and also illumine the. number plate 19 with awhite light. 7. A modified apparatus is shown in Fig. 4. This apparatus has the case C and the cover 1). The case C has the rear wall 36 which is curved, both vertically and horizontally, preferably of parabolic curvatures, and also has the lugs 37 similar to and for the same purpose as thelugs 15, andalso has the boss 38 projecting outside of the case only, so

' that the inside thereof may be polished readily. The front of the caseis open and has theflange 39. i r

The lamp socket 40 is mounted in the boss 38 and the lamp 4-1 is mounted in the lamp socket 40.

The cover D, preferably made of aluminum or other material for the purpose previously described, is secured to the case C bymeans of the screws 41-2 and has the shoulders 43 on the inner face thereof to retain the transparent member 44 which is similar-to the member 25 previously de- ,of the case-and by the elimination of all bosses or. projections on the inside of the case.

The operation of this modification is similar to, the apparatuspreviously described.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a simple and eilicient means for,

displaying a signal or other sign easily discernible either in the dark or in daylight.

In either of theapparatuses shown, the

transparent member may be omitted in which-case the light from the lamps shines directly through the openings and the letters appear in white; this arrangement, however, is not well adapted for'sign'als or signs displayed at day time and d'oes'not show the usual red danger signal unless a redglass is provided over the dangersignal openings.

Having described my invention and without limiting myself to the precise construction shown and described,

I claim: v

I. A display apparatus comprising, a case having opaque wallsand an opening in the bottom wall thereof, a sign plate on the front wall of said case, a licenseplate on the bottom of said case adjacent said open- 3 i-ng, a concave reflector in said case and the front edges thereof extendingsubstantially to said transparent'plate except a portion of the lower wall'thereof which portionis curved downwardand extends substantially to said opening in the bottom of the case,

a lamp in the hollow of said refie'ctor to illuminesaid sign plate and said'li'cense' plate through said opening. V 2. In combination, abracket adapted to be secured to a support, a sign secured to said bracket, said bracket being providedv with a shoulder along its upper edge, a display apparatus'resting on said shoulder and having lugs extending downward and hearing against said bracket, bolts passing through said lugs and said sign and said bracket, and means for displaying symbols and signals from said apparatus and for illuminating said sign.

3.- In combination, a bracket adapted to be secured. to a support, a sign secured to said bracket, said bracket being provided with a shoulder along its upper edge, a display=apparatusresting on said shoulder and having lugs extending downward and bearing against said bracket, bolts passing through sald lugs and SELICl sign and said 1 bracl' et, means for displaying symbols and signals from said apparatus, a lamp" in said' appar a'tus, and a reflector in said a p-" .paratus adapted tov direct light raysfrom said lam-p forward and downward.

. Josiarno. THOMAS}, 

